Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-08-01
Joseph Medill on Politics.
THE SENTIMENT OF THE COUNTRY, He SAYS,
Is FOR BLAINE CLEVELAND SURE TO BE
REsoMISATED.

A reporter of the n Y Tribune interviewed
the veteran editor of the Chicago Tribune,
Mr.. Joseph Medill, upon the political situa-
ton, with the following results;
There is not much politics in the country
There can't be when one-half of all the poll
tics of the coming Presidential year are al
ready settled By the certainly foreshadowed
nomination of Mr.. Cleveland. As for the
other side, repeat what l said to you year
ago, that if the State of New York shall unite
upon a candidate before the Republican
National Convention the other side OF the
political battle will be determined.
What about men,"
well, now must refer you again to what
I SAID here a year ago. II New York is prac-
tically united upon any man he can have the
republican nomination, whoever he may De-
The sentiment over the country is for Mr.
Blaine, But if New York should come for
ward with another man, the delegates would
be DISPOSED to saw I'VE regret that you do
not agree with US about Blaine, but we rec
ognize the fact that you are to have the bur.
den of the fight and are entitled to choose the
standard bearer Mr.. Blaine's popularity
and the sentiment for his denomination over
the country cannot be questioned. l is I'M
| mlstakaDIe. IL Is lliuSIdteu ny "Hdt al oiu
| Indiana soldier said to me the other day. He
had been up in the Northwest. On coming back
to Chicago | asked him how he found the
public sentiment. He replied that only one
name was heard, that of Blaine. Then l
asked him if we could elect Blaine. This is
about what he said to me Mr.. Medill, the
situation about that reminds me of the battle
of Shiloh. | was in that fight When the
sun went down on the first day, we had been
driven clear back to the river. In fact, our
feet were wet. But all that night the word
went round that it had not been a fair fight.
We knew that, as a matter of fact, we had
been whipped. That was about the size of
it. But we never thought of lOosing conf
dence in our leader We only got the madden
over night and kept bracing up to whip old
Beauregard the next day. We got reinforce
ments during the night and the second day
we launched into the rebs, and by night had
driven them back forty miles and won the
battle Now | think the fight of 1884 was
like the first day of Shiloh and that 1888 will
be like the second day.. | asked him if the
parallel was carried out in other battles, but
he said ne was talking about Shiloh and
Shiloh was enough"
Mr. Medill took long breath after telling
the Indianian's story and then resumed:
''If Mr.. Blaine is out of the way, there is
Allison. He is one of the best men in the
country | would not call him one OF the
greatest men, but he is one of the best, all
round statesmen in the country, an honest,
clean, able man, with a good record, well
liked and popular and every inch republic
can. Then there is Robert Lincoln. He is
modest and retiring and has no taste for pub
lie life. He rather wishes to keep out of it.
But he has ability and his nomination would
touch the sentiment of the country. The
old fellows who were for Lincoln would be
touched wav down in the depths of their hearts
by the nomination of his son and would fight
for him like tigers. General Hawlev, of Con
nectcut. would make an available candidate.
He is splendid man with fine record. You
have man in this State, who, if he was not
all bound up in corporations, would make as
good timber there is in the country. | re-
fer to Chauncy NJ, Depew. With his business
connections | am afraid he will always have
to be content to be President of the New York
Central road 1t is one of the greatest places
in the business world and fully equal TO the
Presidency of the United States. The man
who holds 5000 100000 of property in his
control and has 81, 900 or &C, 900 employees on
his hands can be no ordinary man. He must
be a great man and that is what Depew is.
| He is one of the country's greatest men and is
so genial and whole souled and red blooded
/ that it almost seems as If he must be Presi-
dent some day for the Gre dit of the country"
"You have found pretty good list of
avaiabes 2"
yes, but they all come round again to
Jeems. The principal objection to Mr. Blaine
/ is the parallel drawn between him and Henry
Clay. The opponents If Mr. Blaine say that
he is destined to follow defeat as Clay did.
| Now, there is another parallel in history that
they do not quote. | can remember at the
verv threshold of my political life the nomi-
nation and election of Martin Van Buren,. He
had all the prestige and support of General
Jackson's Administration. The republican
wings nominated Gen. Harrison and he was
defeated When four years had rolled around
again the situation was much as IL is now
with Blaine and Cleveland. 1t all depended
on New York. Van Buren, was a New York
err He was Familiarity spoken of as Matte
Van Buren, and as the Wizard OF Kinder
hook There was great opposition TO the re-
nomination OF Harrison. The delegates
from New York rather hung back. But there
] were several States in the Northwest that
were bent on having Harrison and they
pushed him through, Well, you know the
result Van Buren, only got about four
States.if remember right. Blaine can carry
every Northern State, | believe. Indiana is
almost certain to go republican. The demo-
Gratis have lost their big men. Hendricks and
King are dead. Mcdonald got no recognition
and has retired They will vote for Cleve-
land but it will be in a perfunctory way and
the republicans can carry the State. They can
carry every Northern State and it might be
that the parallel of the Harrison-Van Buren,
ght would be still further carried out, and
that Blaine would break in on the Solid
South.
Clippings.